Florida Travel

Are you planning to visit Florida? 

We made a guide with our best Florida travel tips. We hope you find it useful, and please let us know if you have any feedback or suggestions!

Our Best Travel Advice

People always ask, what’s our #1 Florida travel tip?

I almost always give the same answer, which is something I discovered after many years of travel, and life. Here it is:

Don’t fall victim to the “shoulds”!

The only thing you should do (besides being ethical, of course) is to enjoy yourself and your time. Be true to yourself, and your travel companions!

Choose a Good Time to Visit

Florida used to have dramatic high and low seasons. Winter was the busy main season, and Summer was the low season.

Now, Florida has become a year-round destination, with several peaks throughout the year.

Hurricane Season

Hurricane season in Florida lasts from June 1st until November 30th. Storms can occur outside of these dates, but this encompasses most of Florida’s hurricane activity.

Spring

There is a surge of visitors to Florida during spring break season. The spring break surge fluctuates based on school calendars, but generally covers the entire month of March and sometimes the weeks before and after March. Crowds and prices are very high during this time.

Summer

Summer is a very busy season in Florida due to family vacationers, who travel around summer vacation calendars. Beaches, springs and theme parks are all very crowded at this time. Visitors should be prepared for intense heat and humidity, and daily thunderstorms.

Fall

Fall in Florida is often hot and humid, with periodic cold-fronts that push down from the north. Early fall months are the most active time for major hurricanes. Rain storms are less frequent than during summer months, but temperatures and humidity are still high. Due to lingering heat and humidity, and increased hurricane risk, fall is the low-season for many destinations in Florida.

Winter

Winter is the peak “Snowbird season”, which lasts from approximately December until April or May. Florida’s weather is lovely at this time, and is usually sunny, cool, dry and pleasant. Crowds and prices will be at their highest during this time. Many events and festivals are held in winter months.

Shoulder Seasons

If you have flexibility, I always suggest visiting during the shoulder seasons of late spring (April-May) or fall (October-November).

These times often have smaller crowds and better deals on lodging. Hurricane activity is lower during these months, although the fall shoulder season still technically falls inside of hurricane season.

Pack Well for the Weather

Florida has extreme weather, and visitors are often caught off-guard.

The Florida peninsula is more than 400 miles long from north to south, which means that weather changes dramatically by region. It can be freezing and snowing in the panhandle, and a hot, humid 90 degrees in Miami.

We’ve found this packing list to be useful when traveling in Florida:

  • Lightweight, breathable clothing
  • A lightweight windbreaker shell
  • Warm weather clothing
  • Clothing to “dress in layers” which can be added or removed
  • Swimsuits and coverups for water parks or beach trips
  • Waterproof jacket or poncho for sudden rain
  • Sunscreen, hat, sunglasses for sun protection
  • Comfortable walking shoes
  • Water shoes to protect feet during water activities

Note: It’s wise to be prepared for a wide variety of conditions!

Even if you visit in the hottest part of summer, it’s always a good idea to bring some warm clothes because indoor spaces are often kept very cold with air conditioning.

And, even in the coldest winter months, be prepared for hot, humid weather.

Explore Beyond the Obvious!

There are SO many things to do in Florida. If you have time, be sure to explore beyond the typical tourist attractions!

Blue Hole Spring

Blue Hole Spring

Ichetucknee Blue Hole Spring is my favorite spring in Florida. I can never wait for the next trip. It’s hard to capture the beauty of this place with words, or even photos. Ichetucknee Springs State Park gets extremely crowded during the summer. If you’ll visit, I highly suggest arriving as early as possible! Some activities…

Overseas Highway

Overseas Highway

Florida’s Overseas Highway is a world-famous scenic highway. It consists of 42 bridges which connect the Florida Keys to the Florida mainland. It’s currently the only way to reach Key West via land. The only other ways to reach Key West are by high-speed ferry, or by flying into the Key West Airport (EYW). The…

Fort De Soto

Fort De Soto

Fort Desoto is one of the best beaches in Florida. To make it even more official, Fort De Soto was once named the “Best Beach in the entire United States” in 2005 by “Dr. Beach” Stephen Leatherman. The water is clear, the sand is amazing, and there is a huge amount of parking. Plus, it…

Key Largo

Key Largo

Key Largo is both an island and a community in the Florida Keys. The island of Key Largo is approximately 30 miles long and approximately 1-2.5 miles wide. It is a relatively small island by any normal standard, but it is the largest island in the Florida Keys. Key Largo is classified as part of…

Islamorada

Islamorada

Islamorada is a small village and group of islands in the Florida Keys. Islamorada is located in the upper Keys, and is roughly halfway between Miami and Key West. The village includes approximately 7 square miles of land area. The official boundaries extend from Channel Two Bridge near mile marker 72.5 to the Tavernier Creek…

Camping in the Florida Keys

Camping in the Florida Keys

Many people dream about camping in the Florida Keys. They imagine white sandy beaches, Caribbean blue water and easy living. They dream that camping is an easy, cheap alternative to hotels and expensive vacation rentals. Maybe even find some free camping on a beach? That all sounds great, right? It does sound great! But, sadly,…

Marathon

Marathon

Marathon is one of the most populated cities in the Florida Keys. It’s considered to be part of the “Middle Keys”, and forms their southern boundary. Islands below Marathon are considered to be the “Lower Keys”. History Like almost all of the Florida Keys, Marathon was inhabited and used for thousands of years by indigenous…

Campgrounds in the Florida Keys

Campgrounds in the Florida Keys

There’s a huge variety of campgrounds in the Florida Keys. You can find everything from old, run-down trailer parks to the fanciest, most high-end and expensive private campgrounds you could imagine. Some campground lots in this guide sell for over a million dollars! Can you imagine paying a million dollars for a parking place? This…

Chassahowitzka River and Springs

Chassahowitzka River and Springs

The Chassahowitzka River is located in the city of Homosassa on Florida’s central gulf coast. It’s located in Citrus County. Chassahowitzka River Video Tour History of Chassahowitzka River and Springs Like many springs in Florida, Chassahowitzka Springs has a fascinating history. It has attracted humans for tens of thousands of years. There are several notable…

Bahia Honda State Park

Bahia Honda State Park

Bahia Honda State Park is located on Bahia Honda, a small island in the Florida Keys archipelago. It’s located in the lower keys, southwest of Marathon.  The island of Bahia Honda has some of the most beautiful views in the Florida Keys, and several of the most beautiful beaches in the Florida. Location Bahia…

Sugarloaf Key

Sugarloaf Key

Sugarloaf Key is an island in the Florida Keys, below the southern tip of Florida. Location and Geography Sugarloaf Key is located in the “Lower Keys” below Cudjoe Key and above the Saddlebunch Keys. The Gulf of Mexico borders the north shores of Sugarloaf Key, and the Atlantic Ocean is to the south. The Lower…

Key West

Key West

Key West is the southernmost key in the Florida Keys archipelago, and the southernmost point of the continental United States. It’s a small island filled with big character, energy and adventure. We hope this guide will help you learn more about Key West, and all that it has to offer.  Location First of all,…

Ormond Beach

Ormond Beach

Ormond Beach is a relaxed, coastal town on Florida’s east coast. It sits in the northern section of Florida’s peninsula, in a region called the Palm Coast. It’s located in Volusia County. It’s located 6 miles north of Daytona Beach, and 50 miles south of St. Augustine. It is 71 miles east of Ocala, and…

Ichetucknee Springs Campground

Ichetucknee Springs Campground

We just got back from camping at Ichetucknee Springs Campground, and had such a great time! We were very happily surprised by our experience. We usually try to avoid private campgrounds because we prefer state parks, national forests, free camping and boondocking whenever possible. But, this campground was different. It’s one of the best we’ve…

Bok Tower and Gardens

Bok Tower and Gardens

Bok Tower and Gardens is one of the best things to do in central Florida. Most visitors absolutely love it, you should definitely consider visiting. Bok Tower and Gardens is a botanical garden, nature preserve and the site of a beautiful, world-famous bell tower, called a carillon. A carillon is a series of musical bells…

St. Cloud

St. Cloud

St. Cloud is a small town in central Florida, 28 miles south of Orlando. Saint Cloud is often considered to be part of the Greater Orlando metro area, and is part of the large Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford metropolitan statistical area. St. Cloud is one of two incorporated cities in Osceola County. The only other city is the…

Mount Dora

Mount Dora

Mount Dora is a quaint little town in Central Florida’s Lake County. It’s part of the Orlando-Kissimmee metro area, about an hour away from Orlando and its major theme parks. Mount Dora has approximately 15,000 residents, according to the 2019 Census population estimate. Lake Dora Mount Dora sits on the northeast corner of beautiful Lake…